Share this article

Watson takes on SA Rugby in dismissal case

Date published: August 17 2016

Former SA Rugby referees boss Andre Watson will fight his dismissal in court on Wednesday.

Watson was fired by SARU on 3 July 2015 after a hearing by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). This followed a number of complaints by senior referees over Watson's "dictatorial management style".

At the beginning of 2015, a number of people within the Referees’ department lodged a grievance against Watson and SA Rugby commissioned an independent investigation into the grievance.

As a result of the findings, the CCMA was requested to consider certain allegations relating to Watson. Contrary to some earlier reports, the allegations that were dealt with by the CCMA did not relate to racism, financial irregularities, misappropriation or match fixing but to the relationship between Watson and a number of people within the Referees’ department and in turn the impact of such relationship on SA Rugby.

Watson said at the time of his dismissal that he would fight the decision and his lawyer, Bertie Grobbelaar, confirmed to Netwerk24 the hearing will be held in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Mzwamadoda “Banks” Yantolo has replaced Watson as SARU's head of referees.